BERWYN — Main Line architect Peter Zimmerman said he was thrilled recently to hear he had won an award named after Italian Renaissance architect Alberto Palladio, who lived from 1508-1580.

Traditional Home magazine, which is dedicated to traditional architecture, will feature Zimmerman’s work. The firm nabbed the honor for renovating a 4,800-square-foot, three story, stone arts and crafts home in Haverford.

Palladio designed many buildings in and around Venice and is best known for his work with Palladian villas.

“Palladio is one of the great figures of architectural history,” Zimmerman said. “The Renaissance was the beginning of classical architecture — coming out of the Dark Ages — it was the rebirth of design, both intellectual and theoretical design.”

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Eighty percent of Zimmerman Architects’ work is custom reconstruction of traditional homes, both historic homes and new homes made to look older.

The skier, golfer and beekeeper said he works to make homes that are “absolutely appropriate” for a specific building site.

“We’re very cognizant of the cultural and historic landscape when building,” said Zimmerman, married and the father of two grown children.

Most the firm’s work is from Wilmington to Doylestown and from Allentown to New Jersey. Zimmerman also designs homes in Sea Island, Ga. and Palm Beach, Fla.

“Chester County is so much different than Jackson Hole, Wyoming,” he said. “We look at local traditions.”

The cost to remodel typically ranges from $300 to $600 per square foot and is sometimes more expensive than new construction.

Zimmerman studied the classical traditions of architecture at Colgate University, the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York, Harvard Graduate School of Design and ETH, Zurich.

“Proportion, scale, shadow, light and texture all play important roles in the design process,” said the Chester Springs resident. “We renovate new houses to look like they’ve been there 100 years, plus.”

Zimmerman’s brand of architecture at the 20-employee office relates to the natural environment.

“Natural proportions found in natural harmonies and musical scales are the basis for good architecture,” he said. “These inherent proportions found in nature lend to the notion of absolute beauty.”

Zimmerman overcame several obstacles when designing the award-winning, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bath Haverford home, sitting on an acre and half.

The architect talked about mixing and working with both formal and typical living spaces in the white painted stone home during the nine-month design process and 16 months of construction.

The kitchen, which had been a formal work space became the center of family life.

“We tried to create more comfortable spaces for living and dining,” he said.

Antique chestnut wood was used for the fireplace mantle and other surfaces, and black walnut serves as flooring.

The front entrance did not face the roadway and Zimmerman grappled with creating an “architectural hierarchy” for both the side-by-side family entrance and the more formal one for visitors.

“We created a sense of the front entrance to make it feel like you’re going into the front entrance,” he said.

Bill Johnson was the project architect for the award-winning home and said much of the house was in the dark and Mary Hastings created the interior design. By ripping out the original sun room and creating another, the kitchen, living and dining rooms got brighter.

“We cleaned up at the back of the home, opening up both sides,” Johnson said.

“By opening them up, we make homes very transparent,” said Zimmerman. “We try to create transparency that allows for light and open nature to come in.”

So why work mostly with family homes?

“I like design,” the 57-year old said. “This gives you a lot more opportunity than designing larger projects where you get bogged down in the technical aspects. It’s a very personal process. Many clients end up being good friends. I help people reach their project and objectives.”

While Zimmerman dreams of becoming a ski bum, he said he still enjoys working at his Berwyn office, as he has for 28 years.